Adjustable brace



- July 3,1923. 1,460,593

v W. LEMOIGNE ADJUSTABLE BRACE Filed May le. 1922 ATM/@nsw Patented July 3, 1923.

titane *UNIT-ED ,STA-TES PATENT "OFFwEf-P WILLIAM LEMOIGNE, or coLUsn, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoR orfpoNn-I'ouitrnfrofnn- WARD :BOGART AND oNE-roun'rnfro A. WnIss, BOTH or GOLUSA, CALIFORNIA.

' AnrUsTABLn `Benen.l

Iof Colusa, county ofl Colusa,'and State of California, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Brace,.of whichthe following is aspeciii'cation.

Thepresent invention relates to improvements in braces used ,for-imparting rotary motion to certain tools, such as drills, screw drivers, socket wrenches and others, and the t particular object of the invention is to provide a brace ofthe character described that possesses fea-tures of adaptability to an extremely high degree and can be used in, almost any corner or under any conditions where the ordinary brace would be practically useless. It is a further object of the invention to lend this character to the brace in a simple manner without `increasing the cost of manufacturing the brace consider` ably.

With these objects in view I have illustrated-the preferred form of my invention in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of my brace; Figure 2 a side elevation of the same brace adjusted to meet diierent conditions; Figure 3 a longitudinal section through one of the joints used for connecting the diie'rent parts of my brace; Figure 4 a cross section through the same joint; Figure 5 a detail-view of a universal joint used in the shank of the brace, and Figure 6 a detail view showing a reversible power transmission from one portion of the shank to the other. While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may bek made within the scope of the claim hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

My brace (l) consists of a handle (2)', aV

shank (3) and a yoke (4) connecting the handle to the shank and facilitating the turning of the latter.

A. principal feature of my invention is the yoke which consists preferably of a' central member (6) and two links (7) and (8) piv` otally connecting the ends of the central member to the handle and to the shank respectively by means of suitable pins (9). To receive the latter pins the ends of the central portion, the lower end of the handle and the upper end o f the shankare bent et Application filed May '16, 1922. Serial'N'o'. v561,366.Y

'rightkanglespas shown at (11)'. Each bend t'erminatesin ay toothed disc (.12)adapted'to I.

' be engaged by a latch'(13)"i'n the links (7') or (8). respectively,` f `The latter, which is 4shown'in detail in Figure 4, pivots'on a pin 14) within the recess (16) iny the link and 1s normally forced into engagement with the toothed disclby aaspring (17). WVhenthue engaged thev far end i (18) ofthe latch projects beyond the outline of the link and is thus adapted to be engaged by the finger or thumb of the operator, who may press it into the recess over the resistance of the spring and thereby release the toothed disc (12) v y from the same. It will be seen that due to this construction the yoke may be bent inte practically any shape desired and more particularly into the form shown in Fi re 2, which shows the shank and the handle as being vertically alined and the central member (6), by means of which the yoke is rotated in parallel relation tothe lshank vand' y handle but closer to the same so that its rota` tion takes up less lspace and allows the brace to be used in a corner where it could not bel used if shaped as shown in Figure 1.

The shank (3) which also offers certain features of adjustability and thus co-operates with the features described in the preceding paragraph in increasing the adaptability of the brace consists principally of the three portions (21), (22') and (23). The portions (21) and (22) are joined by a reversible transmission well known in the art and illustrated in Figure 6.` It comprises in its principal features a ratchet (24) secured on the portion (22) and two pawls (26) and (27) associated with the upper portion and normally forced into ment with the ratchet by the spring (28). The two pawls act in opposing directions rigid connection between the two portions of the shank. A wedge (29) is interposed between the two pawls in such a manner engage- 'and if both are engaged they constitute a that when the wedge is turned by the oper- ,y

ator in one direction it disengages one pawl from the ratchet, and when turned in the nother direction it disengages the other pawl.

If, therefore, the wedge is thrown in engagement with one of the pawls the other pawl only will be active and transfer rotary motion from the upper portion to the central portion (22) in one direction only.

Abutments are shown as at (26') and (27') for the heads l of the pawls (26) and (27) to take the lstrain o the pawl pfintle's.

The lower portion (23) which is adapted to receive the bit or tool to be rotated is connected with the central portion (22) by means of the universal joint (31) shown in Figure 5 so that this lower portion ina-y be rotated by the central portion (22) while the latter occupies an `angular Aposition relative to the same. If the particular situation does not call for the Ause of this particular Afeature and the operator wishes to eliminate the same, he needs 4only to slide `the sleeve (32) on-the central member (22) downward over the universal joint and the sleeve will then maintain the two lower members (22) :and (23) in 'alinement The particular features of my brace will be readily understood from the foregoing description and it may be pointed Vout in particular that A:the three vieatu'res described herein, to wit: the adjustable yoke, the reversible transmission and the universal joint, co-operate in making the brace an instrument of practically universal use.

I claim:

In a brace for turning a bit, a shank for receiving the bit V:bent at its upper end and terminating in a toothed disc, a handle turned at its lower end and terminating lin a toothed disc, and a yoke vinterposed between the shan-lr and the handle comprising a central member lben-t at either end and terminating in toothed. discs and two -connecting links pivotally engaging :the .discs having spring latches associated therewith for locking the .links against pivotal motion.

WILLIAM LEMOIGNE.y 

